Why Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern Is Your New Mom Hero

You may not know it yet, but Jacinda Ardern is about to become your newest mom hero.

But just who is Jacinda Ardern and why on earth would you love her? Allow us to explain.

Ardern, 38, is the Prime Minister of New Zealand and as of June 21, also a new mom of an adorable baby girl named Neve. Thanks to her position as only the second sitting world leader to ever give birth while in office (seriously, let that sink in for a moment–of all the world leaders we have had ever, she was only the second to give birth while in office! Clearly, the world needs more moms running the show, am I right?), Ardern has become a near-celebrity and perhaps accidental advocate for women all over the world.

She first came into her position of power in October of 2017, then announced her pregnancy in January of 2018. Even then, she was composed and calm about her dual roles, noting that she would not be the first woman to multi-task, be a mom, and work too, nor would she be the last. Which, of course, is 100% accurate. So why all the fuss about her?

She's done things like share thoughts on important issues, while holding her swaddled baby in her arms and helped push her government for more parent-friendly policies at parliament, such as weekly parent-child swim meetings. She has documented her working throughout pregnancy is a nonchalant way, publicly championed the work of midwives, shared her excitement over receiving letters from children, and made plans to travel with her daughter while she returns back to work.

Being a world leader and rocking pregnancy and having a partner who will be a stay-at-home dad shouldn't be making headlines across the world, but it is because that's still unusual in our day and age for women and for mothers. And Ardern, like the pro that she is, has accepted that she will be a trailblazer for now with a lot of interest in her life–a life, which by the way, she is quick to point out is literally no different than any other working mother–until it becomes the norm. She is being open about her journey and her life so far because she hopes to see a day where what she is doing as a working mother really isn't that big of a deal at all.

“I absolutely accept this layer of interest because it’s not our normal yet,” she said in a press conference. “But one day it will be.”

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Ardern welcomed her daughter into the world with her partner Clarke Gayford in her hometown of Auckland. In a Facebook post announcing her daughter's birth, Ardern welcomed her daughter to her “village” and praised the hospital staff that had assisted with the delivery, writing, “Welcome to our village wee one. Feeling very lucky to have a healthy baby girl that arrived at 4.45pm weighing 3.31kg (7.3lb) Thank you so much for your best wishes and your kindness. We're all doing really well thanks to the wonderful team at Auckland City Hospital.”

In another Facebook post, Ardern updated her followers and public with a video where she announced that her maternity leave was coming to close after close to 6 weeks off and laughed when she described the complete “lack of routine” that currently ruled their lives with a 5-week-old newborn at home.

Overall, Ardern is just your typical working mother, making life work with a baby and smiling along the way as chaos, sleepless nights, and unexpected twists and turns pop up. She is no different than moms everywhere doing their best among the challenges that their lives present, so she is not a hero for what she does necessarily, because so many moms are dealing with even more difficult situations. But what does makes her a hero is how in sharing her life, she is inspiring others to realize that their “normal” is anything but ordinary.

EverydayFamily.com offers general information and is for educational purposes only. This information is not a substitute for professional medical, psychiatric or psychological advice. Nothing on this website should be taken to imply an endorsement of EverydayFamily.com or its partners by any person quoted or mentioned.

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